How to engage children who are on the Autism Spectrum in Outdoor Settings

A one day course for freelance practitioners, parents, teachers and support staff.

This course will demonstrate how you can use creative engagement strategies in a natural setting to engage young people. It looks at the benefits of being away from four walls in the open air, and how to enjoy getting your hands dirty! We will share with you Bamboozle’s 28 years of experience in working with Autism and how the Bamboozle Approach gets results in these settings. The training will be held on our Backyard space which is on an allotment site in Leicester.

“My children are free to be their authentic selves at the backyard. They are supported expertly to safely explore and play in the way that they want without any expectations. The children always leave here so happy and can’t wait to return. Providing them with these experiences is so valuable. I think they really helped to boost their confidence and individuality. I really can’t thank staff enough, they are all incredible. My boys are so happy!” – Sarah Louise, parent – on Bamboozle’s Wildings Outdoor Project

“I am so grateful to you all. It has been amazing to see how quickly Lizzie has relaxed and how much she has talked! Lizzie often doesn’t talk with new people and in new situations, yet here she has chatted happily. Lizzie was allowed to open up in her own time and was enraptured with the activities. This feels a very happy, magical safe place.” Lydia, parent – on Bamboozle’s Wildings Outdoor Project

Our work is often described as ‘magic’. But it isn’t. It is the rigorous application of our beliefs, principles and strategies. These can be taught. We share our Approach with parents, carers, teachers and theatre practitioners in the UK and across the world – from Stevenage to Shanghai and many places in between! Sharing our Approach with educators and practitioners enables more and more learning disabled children to experience the highest quality theatre and creative education practice as well as explore their capacity to interact meaningfully with the world around them.

This autism-specific course covers key areas of the Bamboozle Approach which can be applied and integrated into your own practice straight away. 

This one day course will cover these areas:

• Arriving- creating the enabled space.
• What needs to happen before the young people and their family arrives.
• Finding your flow: rewilding exercises and games for relaxation and connection with the outdoors.
• The play state- letting go of the right way to do things.
• How to be curious, being present, accepting uniqueness with active interest and giving the invitation to lead
• Creating a character – how to be in the space – what to do and not to do as the character.
• How to co-create stories by releasing the mantle of the expert – how they create an enabled space.
• Stories through play and child led exploration.
• Creative activities Bamboozle has used and that you can easily set up for your young people.
• Discussion and Q&A

Venue, Dates & times:

Next dates will be 2023.

Signing up:

To register for the course please contact: kit@bamboozletheatre.co.uk

Fees:

For schools and organisations – £167.00 per person for the day.

For individuals and freelancers – £87.00 per person for the day.